How Probiotics Contribute to Your Health
Probiotics are foods or supplements which contain friendly bacteria. They improve gut function and protect against many diseases. The gut contains many bacteria. From a Qigong standpoint, having an increased amount of friendly bacteria will help balance digestion energy.
Information about Probiotics
There are dozens of different probiotic bacteria that have been shown to have health benefits.
Here are some research-based benefits of some of the most common probiotics, namely lactobacillus acidophilus (LA), lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR), lactobacillus casei (LC), and bifidobacterum longum (BL):
- Makes sure the cells of your immune system are working properly1-9.
- Helps your intestine conserve energy10.
- Soothes cold and influenza symptoms11.
- Decreases cholesterol12-14.
- Fights bacteria that cause Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria and reduces harmful bacteria15-19.
- Helps prevent and treat diarrhea and eczema20-23.
- Contributes to weight loss24.
- Reduces susceptibility to type 2 diabetes25.
- Inhibits tumor growth26,27.
- Resists allergies28.
References:
1. Konstantinov, S., Smidt, H., De Vos, W., Bruijns, S., Singh, S., Valence, F., . . . Van Kooyk, Y. (2008). S layer protein A of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM regulates immature dendritic cell and T cell functions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,105(49), 19474-9.
2. Link-Amster, Rochat, Saudan, Mignot, & Aeschlimann. (1994). Modulation of a specific humoral immune response and changes in intestinal flora mediated through fermented milk intake. FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology,10(1), 55-63.
3. Schiffrin, Rochat, Link-Amster, Aeschlimann, & Donnet-Hughes. (1995). Immunomodulation of human blood cells following the ingestion of lactic acid bacteria. Journal of Dairy Science, 78(3), 491-497.
4. Schiffrin, Eduardo J., Brassart, Dominique, Servin, Alain L., Rochat, Florence, & Donnet-Hughes, Anne. (1997). Immune modulation of blood leukocytes in humans by lactic acid bacteria: Criteria for strain selection.(Nutrition, Immunity, and Infection). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,66(2), 515S.
5. Vrese, Rautenberg, Laue, Koopmans, Herremans, & Schrezenmeir. (2005). Probiotic bacteria stimulate virus–specific neutralizing antibodies following a booster polio vaccination. European Journal of Nutrition,44(7), 406-413.
6. Christensen, H., Larsen, C., Kæstel, P., Rosholm, L., Sternberg, C., Michaelsen, K., & Frøkiær, H. (2006). Immunomodulating potential of supplementation with probiotics: A dose–response study in healthy young adults. FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology, 47(3), 380-390.
7. Dwivedi, Nomikou, Nigam, & Mchale. (2012). The effects of microencapsulated Lactobacillus casei on tumour cell growth: In vitro and in vivo studies. International Journal of Medical Microbiology,302(7-8), 293-299.
8. Akatsu, H., Iwabuchi, N., Xiao, J., Matsuyama, Z., Kurihara, R., Okuda, K., . . . Maruyama, M. (n.d.). Clinical effects of probiotic Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on immune function and intestinal microbiota in elderly patients receiving enteral tube feeding. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition,37(5), 631-640.
9. Lee, Jung-Woo, Shin, Jung-Gul, Kim, Eun Hee, Kang, Hae Eun, Yim, In Been, Kim, Ji Yeon, . . . Woo, Hee Jong. (2004). Immunomodulatory and antitumor effects in vivo by the cytoplasmic fraction of Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium longum. Journal of Veterinary Science (Suwon-si, Korea),5(1), 41-48.
10. Goh, Y., & Klaenhammer, T. (2014). Insights into glycogen metabolism in Lactobacillus acidophilus: Impact on carbohydrate metabolism, stress tolerance and gut retention. Microbial Cell Factories,13, Microbial Cell Factories, 2014 Nov 20, Vol.13.
11. Kim, & Gilliland. (1983). Lactobacillus acidophilus as a dietary adjunct for milk to aid lactose digestion in humans. Journal of Dairy Science,66(5), 959-966.
12. Gilliland, S E, Nelson, C R, & Maxwell, C. (1985). Assimilation of cholesterol by Lactobacillus acidophilus. Applied and Environmental Microbiology,49(2), 377.
13. Al-Sheraji, Ismail, Manap, Mustafa, Yusof, & Hassan. (2012). Hypocholesterolaemic effect of yoghurt containing Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 or Bifidobacterium longum BB536. Food Chemistry,135(2), 356-361.
14. Xiao, Kondo, Takahashi, Miyaji, Oshida, Hiramatsu, . . . Hosono. (2003). Effects of milk products fermented by Bifidobacterium longum on blood lipids in rats and healthy adult male volunteers. Journal of Dairy Science,86(7), 2452-2461.
15. Ahmed, Z., Wang, Y., Cheng, Q., & Imran, M. (2010). Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteriocin, from production to their application: An overview. African Journal Of Biotechnology,9(20), 2843-2850.
16. Mercenier, A., S. Pavan, and B. Pot. 2003. Probiotics as biotherapeutic agents: present knowledge and future prospects. Curr. Pharm. Design 8:99–110.
17. Sanders, M., & Klaenhammer, T. (2001). The scientific basis of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM functionality as a probiotic. Journal Of Dairy Science,84(2), 319-331.
18. Odamaki T, Sugahara H, Yonezawa S, Yaeshima T, Iwatsuki K, Tanabe S, Tominaga T, Togashi H, Benno Y, Xiao JZ. 2012. Effect of the oral intake of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longumBB536 on the cell numbers of enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilisin microbiota. Anaerobe 18: 14–18.
19. Namba K., Yaeshima T., Ishibashi N., Hayasawa H. & Yamazaki S. Inhibitory effects of Bifidobacterium longumon enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coliO157:H7. Biosci. microflora 22, 85–91.
20. Singh, V., Raheja, G., Borthakur, A., Kumar, A., Gill, R., Alakkam, A., . . . Dudeja, P. (2012). Lactobacillus acidophilus upregulates intestinal NHE3 expression and function. American Journal of Physiology. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology,303(12), G1393-401.
21. Kalliomäki, Salminen, Poussa, Arvilommi, & Isolauri. (2003). Probiotics and prevention of atopic disease: 4-year follow-up of a randomised placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet,361(9372), 1869-1871.
22. Szajewska H, Mrukowicz JZ. 2001. Probiotics in the treatment and prevention of acute infectious diarrhea in infants and children: a systematic review of published randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr.33(Suppl 2):S17–S25.
23. Segers, M., & Lebeer, S. (2014). Towards a better understanding of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG--host interactions. Microbial Cell Factories,13 Suppl 1, S7.
24. Sanchez, M., Darimont, C., Drapeau, V., Emady-Azar, S., Lepage, M., Rezzonico, E., . . . Tremblay, A. (2014). Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 supplementation on weight loss and maintenance in obese men and women. 111(8), 1507-1519.
25. Zhang, Y., Guo, X., Guo, J., He, Q., Li, H., Song, Y., & Zhang, H. (2014). Lactobacillus casei reduces susceptibility to type 2 diabetes via microbiota-mediated body chloride ion influx. Scientific Reports,4, Scientific Reports, 18 July 2014, Vol.4.
26. Dwivedi, Nomikou, Nigam, & Mchale. (2012). The effects of microencapsulated Lactobacillus casei on tumour cell growth: In vitro and in vivo studies. International Journal of Medical Microbiology,302(7-8), 293-299.
27. Oberreuther-Moschner, Jahreis, Rechkemmer, & Pool-Zobel. (2004). Dietary intervention with the problotics Lactobacillus acidophilus 145 and Bifidobacterium longum 913 modulates the potential of human faecal water to induce damage in HT29clone19A cells. British Journal Of Nutrition,91(6), 925-932.
28. Xiao, Jin-Zhong, Kondo, Shizuki, Yanagisawa, Naotake, Miyaji, Kazuhiro, Enomoto, Keisuke, Sakoda, Takema, . . . Enomoto, Tadao. (2007). Clinical efficacy of probiotic Bifidobacterium longum for the treatment of symptoms of japanese cedar pollen allergy in subjects evaluated in an environmental exposure unit. Allergology International,56(1), 67-75.